After leaving the adventurer's guild Ves'ra turned towards the biggest building on the main square - the mages guild. The guild was unique insofar that they didn't participate in any politics.

She didn't know why that was special, but she did care that she'd be able to learn ‘reading’ there, so she walked towards it immediately. The building radiated energy - more than she had ever seen. It was grandiose, several stories high with magic flying all across the facade. A snake of fire transforming into one made out of ice then water and back again was only one of the magics adorning the building.

The entry differed from the other buildings she entered so far too - instead of a wooden door she saw people vanishing into a horizontal lake. She didn't know if she really wanted to enter that - she didn't know how to swim.

Ves’ra shook her head and entered the building before anymore doubts entered her mind. She was right to do so too - the moment she passed the portal all doubts in her mind vanished.

Looking around she noticed she was in a long hallway- longer than it had any right to be. turning around she only saw a solid wall of stone. She shook her head once again, starting to circulate her energy through her head. The wall vanished, replaced by the same strange lake as before.

Turning around Ves’ra was greeted by a different scene, a slim human with long ears - an elf she remembered - stood only a few meters in front of her, sitting behind a desk and reading something. Ves’ra took a step, carefully looking around for more magic tricks. Once she was sure there weren't any she immediately stepped towards the counter.

The elf ignored her, obviously reading was more important than she was. Well, she was in no hurry so she leaned against the wall opposite to the elf and took out the human timekeeper. Ves’ra decided she would wait for an hour, if the elf wasn't ready by then, than she would interrupt him.

It didn't take long, the elf spoke up after only twenty minutes.

“You aren't going to speak are you? What can I do for you?”

“Why would I, it would be rude to interrupt someone. I want to learn to read and have been told I can find someone teaching here.”

“That's no problem, do you want a personal tutor or is studying with our students fine.”

“I don't care as long as I’ll learn how to do so.”

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“You shook off the illusion pretty quickly - how did you do it?”

“That wasn't really hard, I only had to shield myself from the energy in my mind with my own.” The elf’s eyes widened a bit. “You're a mage?”

“Why is everyone asking that? Of course I hatched a second time, otherwise I wouldn't be here.”

“Where would you be?”

“I would be dead.”

“Dead?!”

“Yes. Each of my siblings had to try their second hatching with four months.”

“EVERY single being in your village is a mage?!”

“Yes. I don't know why everyone seems to wonder about that? How can you hunt if you can't do magic or empower your body.”

“Wait, you said your siblings had to try? You didn't?”

“I was faster. I have had strange feelings for all of my life and found my second egg when investigating one of them. Then I had to hatch again, though I used the winter storm that was raging outside instead of my body.”

“Damn, your whole village has to awaken within four months of your birth.”

“Or they die yes. Now, can we get back to more important matters. How long is such a course and how much does it cost?”

“More important than a village full of mages, yeah, sure. Are you an adult or a child?”

“Adult.”

“Well, basic writing for adults takes four weeks and a hundred silver. The next one would start in a week. Private tutors cost a hundred and fifty silver a week and takes as long as it takes. What would you like?”

That wasn't easy to answer. A private tutor would cost six times as much, though only if she did indeed need four weeks to learn that. Ves’ra was quite confident in her ability to learn, so she decided she’d try the the private tutor for one week - the other course would only start in the next week anyways, so she wouldn't waste any time.

“Can I change my mind later on? I’d like to try the private tutor for the rest of the week and change if it doesn't suit me.”

“You’d have to pay for the week anyways, but yes that is indeed possible.”

“So, when do I start?”

“Tomorrow. You’ll have to pay the tutor directly. Just think of library before entering the portal, you’ll be waited for there. How may you be addressed?

“I'm Ves’ra.”

“Very good. Good luck.”

“Thank you, bye.”

---

Vamir of Lokervik looked at the kobolds back as she left the guild. She obviously didn't know how ridiculous her claims sounded - a WHOLE village full of mages. Only one of every twenty would awaken. And only one of those twenty was an actual mage. That village sounded like a very important asset to have - if they managed to copy their technique to awaken then the free cities would be the most powerful nation overnight.

He’d have to alert the guild master, they had to find that village! Finding the tutor wouldn't be hard, though he’d have to make sure they would milk the stupid thing for as much information as possible.